


Slice of heaven

by darkshines66



Category: Muse (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Falling In Love, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 14:24:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13591965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkshines66/pseuds/darkshines66
Summary: Two opposite worlds collide bringing two different people together and they fall...





	Slice of heaven

**Author's Note:**

> It is a work of fiction, The characters depicted are not real. No offence intended.

# Slice of heaven

Today marked twelve months since I met you. I came to work and saw the beautiful arrangement of flowers on my office desk. The card, stapled to it, said: “I’m still just a phone call away”. No sign on it, but I knew who it was from.

I was sitting at the bar, nursing another drink in my hands. The nightclub was booming on Saturday night, the public was very eclectic, to say the least. I started drumming my fingers on the bar top, my anxiety level rising again. I never felt being out of the place more than I felt right now. Suddenly, I had the strong urge to leave. I motioned to the barman and asked him to close the bill. “It’s already being taken care of,” the barmen beckoned his head toward the VIP table. I turned around, and saw you…

The VIP corner was a focal point in the middle of the bar clamour. I studied the crowd, sorting people into different categories of hotness and finesse. All those people sitting at your table, drinking your champagne, listening intently to anything you would say, laughing at your jokes, ready to kiss your ring or your ass, whatever you would allow them to kiss. Just exactly like in the scene of “Godfather”…

I wasn’t going to let anybody to pay for me, my pride won’t simply allow it. I knew- I was a small, obscured bird and you were the great peacock, flourishing in your splendid exterior. I wasn’t colourful enough to get noticed, and you were showered by admiration of your glorious outer shell. There was no way I could compete with the herds of devotees that lived and breathed in your norm. Thinking of all of it and being slightly inebriated, my mind turned into a big bowl of mushy sadness, self-pity and sense of loneliness. I wanted to tell you, that as much as I appreciate the thought, there was no need for that.

But, it was a different reason that prompt me to go to your table…it was the decision I made a long time ago and the one, that brought me to the club in the first place.

On my way there, I remembered our brisk run into each other last year, and thought that after it happened, and I ended it, without even letting it to start, I couldn’t stop thinking about you… Somehow, from out short encounter, I sensed something deep inside of you, some kind of hidden pain and sadness. It almost felt, as you were looking for escape from your reality, trying to break up some kind of chains, that were invisible to the naked eye of the outsider. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My foggy mind brought the details of the day when we came across each other. I was a resident at the emergency center at the St. Mary General, working as trauma and orthopedic surgeon. I was finishing my shift and was going to see my last patient. 

I opened the curtain partition and stopped, overwhelmed by the picture I saw inside. It was impossible to see the patient behind all the people surrounding the bed. I always read the chart before I got to see my patients, (it was a habit of mine-always be organised), so I knew that I would be treating the female patient. Her chart said, that she was injured in the accident. 

I wasn’t prepared to see the part of the emergency room overrun with people- clamouring around, talking, typing, texting and… to my biggest surprise-drinking champagne from the plastic cups. I needed to assess the injuries of a woman, who was the reason of all the commotion in my emergency room, so I’ve asked everyone to leave, only to be completely ignored by the mob. When I helplessly looked around, seeking the attention from anyone, I found a pair of grey eyes, staring intently at me. The owner of the said eyes, was a beautiful hottie, dressed in the suit that would probably cost my monthly salary and was just a picture from “a lifestyle of the millionaires” commercial. The look, this gorgeous stranger, was giving me, was a quizzical and unnerving. He was scrutinizing me, looking me all over and I detected a faint smirk on his face. Seeing me completely stranded and taking pity on me, he just turned around and said in a very unobtrusive, calm way, a few words that made everyone to stop whatever they were doing and leave. After the last visitor stumbled out of the bed space, he approached me, extending his hand and introduced himself. 

“Hi, I’m Dominic Howard. Sorry about all this commotion, we all were returning from the party. And this is my twin sister Violette, she was stepping out of the limo, when her heal broke and she fell and hurt her foot. She says that she is fine, but I wanted to make sure. I’m concerned that she hit her head or something like that. And before you ask, yes, she had a few drinks, but she didn’t take any other substances that can interfere with the meds, you will prescribe. “  
At this I looked at my watch and said to myself, _Hmm, returning from the party at six in the morning, what an “exciting life” you lead._ I thought sarcastically, _and I’m finishing my twenty-four-hour shift, and probably look disheveled and tired like shit!_

Putting my personal feelings aside, I decided to act as professionally as I could manage,” Sure, Mr. Howard. Let me just do my job and we will find out, how “fine” she really is.”

You were very charismatic- totally opposite to my withdrawn, introverted nature, the staggering difference in our characters could not be more evident. Just, when I finally got to my patient, Kathy- our head nurse, came into the room with the cup of steaming tea. “Here you go, sweetheart.” She addressed you, as if she has known you all her life, And, we’re talking about Kathy, the lady with an attitude of an army sergeant, who ordered patients, relatives and staff (as well), around, as it was her own army barracks. How, in God’s name, did you manage to domesticate her in such short period of time that you have being in the hospital, completely puzzled me.

“Thank you, Kathy! You are an angel! I’m sorry, doctor, I was just so worried about my sister, and this gentle woman took a pity on me, and decided to ease my worries with the cup of, I might say, delicious tea!” you slightly bowed in Kathy’s direction. Head nurse’s face burst in the goofiest smile and she blushed, at the compliment. 

_My, my_ I thought to myself, _I definitely could pick up some pointers from you, about how to charm people to do everything for me._

Did I despise the ones like you and your friends? Did I feel jealous, that you all inherited your fortunes and were just playboys, that led the life of luxury, overindulgence, and were snooty, spoiled brats in my eyes?

I brushed all those thoughts aside. I had an obligation to treat my patient as I would anyone else, and that’s what I did. After studying the ex-rays that were done before, I examined the girl and prescribed some medication and necessary treatments. I left the room to update you on the condition of your sister and let you know, that after we will put the cast on her fractured ankle, she could be send home, for outpatient care.  
You intently listened to my explanation and sighed relieved, finding out that she was, in fact, OK.

“Thank you so much,” you smiled at me,” you really put my mind at ease!” Then you said something that really surprised me, “Listen, Chris,” (you weren’t big on last names), ”I know, that you finished your shift, let me buy you a breakfast as a thank you for what you did?” 

I was taken aback by your offer. “Ugm, well, I didn’t do anything different that I would have done for any patient, you don’t owe me anything and absolutely don’t have to do anything. Simple “Thank you “ will suffice!” My pride was hurt, to be honest, I didn’t want any hand-downs from the likes of you.

My upbringing was very modest, to say the least. I was born and raised in a blue-collar family and from the very early age, have learnt, that to get somewhere in this life without studying and working hard is impossible. When I was accepted into medical school, I found a part time job, to ease the financial strain on my family. All my years, that I spent getting diploma, being intern and finally becoming a resident, required all of my time, they consumed me studying and working my ass off. Even now, being a young doctor, as I always wanted to be, I couldn’t afford the simple luxuries as my own place or a car. So, you can understand my loathing of people, who got everything in this life without any effort from their side.

You exhaled, saddened by my refusal, “I think I can feel that you despising people like me because you think of us as rotten, patronizing and selfish jerks. But, aren’t we supposed not to judge people by appearance only, until we’ll get to know them?” 

I shrugged my shoulders, but deep inside, I was alarmed by the anguish in your voice and the wounded look in your eyes. I knew, that I sounded a bit uppity and aggressive, and that I hurt your feelings.

There were too many voices in my head fighting for my attention. To tell the truth, I was dreaming about the hot shower and bed after the end of the shift, but my stomach was telling me, that the small sandwich and the cup of coffee from the hospital cafeteria, that I gobbled in the last twelve hours- were definitely not nourishing enough. And there was another voice that whispered in my brain, that, despite my feelings about the whole upper class, to which you clearly belonged to, you were strikingly beautiful and nice. Even the night, spent partying, didn’t make you look tired or jagged. 

So, after a short consideration, I mumbled, “Sorry, I meant no offence. Actually breakfast sounds good right now… I just need a few minutes to finish discharge papers for your sister and we can go to the little café nearby.”

“Oh, by the way, who is going to take your sister home?” I looked at you, waiting.

“Don’t worry about that, I called her boyfriend and he is going to take her out of your hair”, you smirked apologetically- your sister was a handful, for sure.

Your smile won. I made the decision. “Yes, let’s have breakfast, but I’m going to pay for myself- this is my only condition!”

“Sure. I didn’t mean to sound, as I was trying to bribe you for your services, I know about the Hippocratic’s Oath. I just wanted to apologize for all the commotion before and thank you for being so courteous and professional.”

“Please. You make me sound as I did something heroic. Again, you don’t owe me anything!” with that I pointed to the chair in the waiting area, “I’ll be just a few minutes. And you can entertain nurses, while, I’m finishing the reports and changing into something civil!” I smiled, and went to the office.

Only after we sat down and placed our orders, I realized how tired and worn out I was. I was working so hard, trying to keep my patients alive, we had so many different traumas and casualties, it was like people were becoming unhinged and were losing common sense at night. I was dealing with human drama all the time: abused spouses, children suffering from all kinds of accidents, consumption of alcohol and drugs that brought overdosed junkies and belligerent drunks, who got in a fight with battered bar regulars. Plus, I was the one that had to give the bad news to relatives, deliver crashing reality to their lives. Being under so much emotional stress on a top of physical exhaustion- would make anyone cranky. And I wasn’t the exclusion. So, sitting across the table, listening to happily chirping guy, who just spent his night partying, and after that, brought his sister to the ER and still wasn’t perturbed by it, was making me to wonder, what kind of person you really were. Were you just empty, shallow and selfish playboy? Or there was another person, hiding behind the glossy exterior? Was I just projecting, and the guy across the table, was actually a decent human being, with his own story to wright? Well, I would read the shit out of that story, if it was true…

Jealousy is such an ugly emotion, and I told myself off, for being, even mentally, a jerk to you, you did absolutely no wrong by me. And it didn’t hurt that on the top of it, you were perfect -so beautiful, confident-without being arrogant, the real charmer.

When food arrived, I dug in it with the fervor of a man, that starved for ages. There was another reason to be so passionate about the omelette, I was scoffing- it helped me to keep out of conversation and let you do the talking. You were dainty picking at your toast and telling another hilarious story about summer in Monte Carlo, that you spent cruising on the luxurious yacht of your old-time friend, some French billionaire, with unpronounceable name.

The next words out of your mouth almost made me cough out my food. With the faint smile on your face, you said, absentmindedly, ” I would love to take you there sometime, to show you, how beautiful the sea coast is at the sunset… we could just relax for the whole day, do some deep-sea diving, have a marvelous seafood lunch at one of the fishermen villages and toast the setting sun with the champagne.”

You were still in your dreamy land, when I made a snorting sound, that brought you back to the Earth. “Aren’t you forgetting something? First of all, we just met, I barely know you. People don’t fall for someone in the period of a few hours. Then, the practical issue that maybe very foreign to you- I work for a living and happen to depend on my job and have all intention to keep it. And lastly- I am not the person, who would ever fit in with your lifestyle or the company you keep!” “And why me? How did you even come up with all of it? Did I give you the inclination that I like you and want to spend time with you?” The questions kept falling out of my mouth like a waterfall, not leaving a string of the air between them and not giving you the chance to explain.

You lifted your hands in surrounding gesture and looked at me with the pleading eyes, “Chris, please, stop. I know, we just met, I know, that you see me as waste of space on this planet, but I am attracted to you. I can’t explain, why I feel this way, and I know that it was too forthright to talk like that to you, I just voiced up my wish out loud, without thinking. Sorry, if I offended you, I really didn’t mean to, it’s just, I find you extremely handsome, and you are so honest and so different from all the losers I’ve ever dated in my life. “

“Well, Dominic, I’m sorry too. I was too harsh on you and you didn’t deserve that. I don’t loathe you, nor I see you as an entitled, self-assured socialite. But my life is complicated enough as it is, and I can’t invest my feelings in any kind of relationship. So, therefore, I’m taking myself out of equation, and making it easier for you. If we did meet in a different time and under different circumstances, well, something could’ve happened, maybe… but not now. And I will probably regret this decision later, but this is what I chose to do at the moment.”

“But, you don’t understand, “frustrated, you wrung your arms,” there are some forces in Universe and they work, I don’t know how, it can’t be explained, but they mysteriously bringing together people that are so different, that no one would ever believe they could have anything in common! You can say that about us, the first moment I got my eyes on you, I was struck but this strong feeling, the urge to be with you- no matter what! And, yes, I know, that I sound absolutely insane, but this feeling -it’s a certainty that we’re going to end up together.”

The reason of my predicament- struggling with the fact that I wanted you too but knew well enough that I can’t have you. My question was- should I let you go, let go of the dream of having you? As in a famous saying- "if you love something, let it go, “this question felt disheartening. Because, when you let someone go and allow that person the opportunity to chose: come back to you or not -it feels daunting.

Could I have this man for myself only? Was it possible that this could ever become true? And I didn’t want to just have possession of your body (which I believed, would never happen anyway), I wanted to be your other half, in everything that constitutes this word. The reason I decided to reject you, was that I didn’t want to be your temporary fling, I didn’t want to get discarded and thrown away after you’ll get bored with me and with my lifestyle.  
I didn’t want to get my heart broken, but at the same time, refusing you, was extremely hard, even if it felt like a right choice.

I lost my appetite and ask the server for the bill. After settling the bill, I looked at you and said: “I’m sorry, Dominic. I think, I’d better leave. Forgive me.”

I stood up and then, you grabbed my hand and put the business card into it. “Chris, I could change. I would change, so I can be with you. Please, think about what I said, and if you’ll change your mind, please, call me. I will be waiting”, the sadness was oozing out of your eyes.

“No, Dom, I think you can’t change, and I wouldn’t want you to. Because, after the novelty of our relationship will wear off, you will detest me, and it will be too hard for me to live it over.”

“I’m going to be in the “Splash” with my friends this Friday, maybe you can join us then?” the embers of hope still glowed faintly in your eyes. I shook my head “no” and left without looking back, feeling really shitty.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is surprising that we didn’t have any run-ins during this whole time. I ignored the phone calls from you and prevented any attempts from you to contact me. But, I followed you in the media, reading about you in some stupid gossip columns of “yellow press”. I had to come clean to myself, when I realised that I thought about you all the time but was too proud, and at the same time unsure about what you started to mean to me.  
I couldn’t get sleep, that I was craving so much, it just wouldn’t come. No matter how exhausted I was after work, I couldn’t find the comfort in my bed. The thoughts of you and what happened between us, won’t leave my feverish brain. I had the dreams of us, that were so vivid, filled with fantasies about the things I would want to do to you, that I would wake up with an enormous hard-on, and needed a cold shower to bring it down. After the futile attempts to calm down, I decided to go on some dates to take my mind off you. But, alas- nothing worked.

At the end of the year, I came to a decision…  


\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I approached your table and you got up to greet me. Your face lit up with the brilliant smile, when you moved to greet me.

I was carrying that “one-too-many” tumblers of Scotch in my hand and my “lubricated” state gave me a bit more self-assurance to act brave.  
There is a wide gulf between inaction and making things happen. I became obsessed with you, I finally admitted to myself. I wanted you, but I couldn’t act on any of those notions. I was a doctor, I presumed to be rational and sometimes make lifesaving decisions in mere seconds, but I always knew that I was good at what I did and always was sure in my actions. This was a totally different case, though. I was perfectly aware, that you were out of my league on so many levels, that if I would even attempt to try, I would make a spectacle of myself in the eyes of all those around us. Those around you, would never allow us to be together, they will ostracize you for being with someone, without a pedigree high enough to be deemed acceptable in their circle. But at the same time, I knew with my six sense and years of reading people faces and seeing emotions in some critical situations, that you were different, than the crowd around us.

But in this moment, I couldn’t care less of the world around us. I saw you and only you. The object of my desire, the reason of my sweltering dreams. I wanted to prove to you, or maybe to myself, mostly, that I was worth of being loved by someone like you. And, you told me that you wanted me and yeah, you know, that I did too… 

I leaned forward, and I kissed you. It wasn’t a playful little peck, but a full-on kiss, with my tongue darting impetuously into your mouth. You were so astonished, that, for a second, a delicious, life-altering, wished-it-would-go-on-forever second, you stopped breathing.  
Everybody stopped talking, Violette squeaked a surprised “Oh”, and then when the first shock passed, it happened. You returned the kiss, your hands looped around my neck and you opened your lips and accepted my tongue. The sweet taste of Armagnac lingered in your mouth. 

Our breath mixed in a hottest, most passionate way.

You interrupted the kiss and whispered on exhale, “Finally!”

“Am I too late?” I suddenly became anxious again.

“No, silly. But we have a lot of catching up to do for the lost time!” you laughed softly and caressed my cheek.

“What did we get ourselves into?” I wondered out loud…

“Heaven!” you stroked my hair with the smile, brighter than the sun.


End file.
